Method of making fabricated articles



May 10, 1938. c. F. BAROTHY 2,116,555

A METHOD OF MAKING FABRICATED ARTICLES Filed June 6, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M/Vf/VTOR C. EBAROTHY ATTOR/V'y May 10, 1938. c BAROTHY 2,116,555

vMETHOD OF MAKING FABRICATEb ARTICLES Filed June 6, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A 770F114? V Patented May 10, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD OF MAKING FABRICATED ARTICLES Application June 6, 1936, Serial No. 83,843

Claims.

This invention relates to fabricated articles, and more particularly to fabricated switch hooks for use in telephone apparatus.

In certain telephone instruments, for example, the coin collector disclosed in U. S. Patent 1,043,219 to O. F. Forsberg, issued November 5, 1912, a switch hook is employed to support the receiver and to initiate appropriate signals to the central office operator when the receiver is removed from or placed on the hook. A portion of the switch hook projects from the instrument housing and this accessibility occasionally results in hard usage. The projecting hook portion also provides a convenient handle for transporting the I instrument and may be used for this purpose by repairmen and installers. For these reasons it is desirable to use durable materials and rigid types of construction for this part and as some of the component members are exposed to view, appearance is an important consideration.

An object of this invention is to provide a telephone switch hook of durable, economical and serviceable construction and neat appearance.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention a fabricated switch hook suitable for installation in a telephone instrument base plate, comprises a pair of formed steel punchings with interlocking body portions welded together, a steel shaft welded axially to the end of the interlocked portion for supporting the hook in the base plate and actuating a switch mounted on the base plate, a section of a steel annulus welded to one of the punchings and cooperating with the base plate to limit the movement of the switch hook, and a flared portion extending from one punching to cooperate with said annulus section for sealing the shaft opening in the instrument housing.

An alternative embodiment of the invention comprises a steel shaft bent and flattened at one end, a pair of steel punchings having formed body portions welded symmetrically to the flattened portion of the shaft and their free ends formed into a receiver hook, and flanges on the punchings to limit the movement of the switch hook and shield the opening in the housing.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the appended drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a fabricated switch hook embodying the invention, shown installed in the base plate of a telephone instrument;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the switch hook;

Fig. 3 is an exploded view in perspective of the switch hook shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 2 showing an alternative construction for the switch hook, and

Fig. 5 is an exploded view in perspective of the switch hook shown in Fig. 4.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, a switch hook arm i0 is punched and formed on a punch press or similar machine with one end I I bent into ahook, and a shaped body l2 adjacent thereto terminating in an arcuate flange l3 extending at approximately right angles to the body 12. A complementary switch hook arm is produced on similar equipment with one end i6 bent into a hook and a formed body I! having a channelshaped cross-section adapted to receive the body l2 of the cooperating arm H). A switch actuating shaft has an elongated cylindrical section and a flat, plane surface 2| machined at one end.

In the assembly of these members the body [2 of one arm Ill is first nested in the channel I! of the other arm i5. In this position the flange IS on one arm l0 rests against two shoulders l8 formed on the legs of the channel I! and at the opposite end the legs of the channel I! engage shoulders 19 at the corresponding end of the formed body l2. The two arms are then joined securely by spot welding or by suitable means, such as rivets or screws, applied to the interlocked body portions l2 and I1 and the free portions II and [6 of the arms cooperate to provide a hook for supporting the telephone receiver. As the next step in the assembly the end 22 of the cylindrical shaft 20 opposite the machined flat surface 2! is laid in a portion 23 of the channel I! which extends beyond the interlbcked bodies of the two arms and subsequently spot welded or otherwise secured thereto. The extending portion 23 of the channel H has elongated legs which are wrapped around the contacting end 22 of the shaft 2i! after the welding is completed to provide further security between these members. In this assembly the nested hook arms extend from the end of the shaft at an angle to the shaft axis. A portion or sector of an annulus which is punched from a steel sheet is next secured to the face of the flange l3 with its inner radius conforming to the outside surface of the channel portion 23 which is wrapped around the end portion 22 of the shaft 20. Projection welding is particularly suitable for joining the annulus sector 25 and the flange l3, but other known methods, such as riveting, can also be employed satisfactorily. I

The component members of the switch hook are preferably made of mild steel. This material is relatively low in cost and can be welded without difiiculty. Also, it is tough and durable and is available in the form of rolled sheets having a smooth, uniform surface which facilitates finishing.

The completely assembled switch hook 26 is coated with japan, lacquer, paint or other desired material and subsequently installed in a base plate 2'! of a telephone instrument which is provided with a raised flange 28 around its perimeter. To mount the assembled hook in the base plate the shaft is inserted through aligned bearings 29 and 30 that may be formed integral with the base plate 21. The end of the channel portion 23 is located against the left side of the left bearing 29 and location of the assembly in the base is completed by means of a formed member 3! of rectangular section rigidly secured by screws or other suitable means to the end of the shaft 20 and positioned by the flat surface 2| on the shaft. This member extends beyond the shaft section and engages the right side of the right bearing 30 to complete location of the assembled switch hook 26 in the base plate 21. The arm 3| also serves to actuate an electrical switch 32 mounted on the base 2'! in accordance with the movement of the shaft 26 in the bearings Z9 and 30. The metal arm 3| contacts the switch springs 32 through a stud 33 of rubber or other non-conducting material. The switch 32 is suitably connected to condition the apparatus for service and initiate the proper signals to the central office operator in accordance with established practice employed in instruments of the type as described in the Forsberg patent.

The annulus sector 25 lies in the plane of the base plate flange 28 and its end surfaces 34 engage the flange 28 to limit the range of movement of the switch hook. A metal cover (not shown) is placed over the apparatus mounted on the base 2'! with its sides nested inside of the flange 28. The cover has a circular cutout to clear the switch hook and this opening is shielded against the unauthorized insertion of wires or other objects by the flange I3 and the annulus sector 25 which cooperate to form an annular ring.

When the instrument is installed for service, for example, on the wall of a pay station or telephone booth, the joint between the interlocked body portions l2 and ll of the two hook arms faces the wall so that the smooth continuous surface of the back of the channel IT is presented to view.

An alternative construction for the hook portion of the assembly is shown in Figs. 4 and 5. This construction comprises an elongated, cylindrical shaft 44? bent and flattened at one end 4| to flt between formed bodies 42 and 43 of two switch hook arms 44 and 45 which are punched and formed from mild steel strip. The bodies 42 and 43 of the arms 44 and 45 are adapted to the bent contour of the flattened shaft end 4| and are welded, or otherwise secured, symmetrically thereto. The free ends 46 and 41 of the arms are bent into a hook to support the receiver. A flange 48 formed on the end of one arm 43 opposite the hook cooperates with a flange 49 formed integral with the arm 42 at its corresponding end to form an annular ring to shield the opening in the instrument housing through which the supporting shaft extends. The flange 48 has an offset portion which engages the flange 28 on the base plate 21 to limit the movement of the switch hook. After the body portions 42 and 43 of the arms 44 and are welded to the shaft 40 a cylindrical collar 50 having a shoulder 5| is slipped over the free end of the shaft and welded or otherwise secured to the shaft with one end engaging the flanges 48 and 49 to strengthen the assembly at that point.

Either of the constructions described herein provides a practical, economical and serviceable switch hook of good appearance. The component members are readily produced on conventional machining equipment and the construction and materials employed facilitate the use of welding to provide a durable and serviceable unitary structure. Further modifications in construction and materials are feasible and it is to be understood that the invention is limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A fabricated switch hook mounted in a housing on a base plate for supporting a telephone receiver and actuating a switch to indicate the position of the receiver, comprising a plurality of formed steel punchings having interlocking body portions welded together, a steel shaft welded axially to the end of the interlocking portion opposite the hook, a sector of a steel annulus welded to the interlocking body portion to engage the base plate and limit the movement of the switch hook, and a flange formed integral with one of the punchings, offset from the annulus and cooperating therewith to shield the shaft opening in the housing.

2. A switch hook for mounting in the base plate of a telephone instrument to support a telephone receiver and operate a switch in the base plate, comprising a cylindrical shaft bent and flattened at one end for actuating the switch, a pair of formed members welded symmetrically to the flattened end of the shaft having their free ends bent into a hook to support the receiver, and flanges on each of the two formed members cooperating to form an annulus and having an offset portion to limit the movement of the switch hook by engagement with the base plate.

3. A method of making a telephone receiver hook comprising punching a blank from sheet metal, forming a portion of the blank into a channel with elongated legs at one end thereof, shaping the end portion of the blank opposite the elongated legs into a hook, punching a second blank from sheet metal, forming a body in the second blank to conform with the inside contour of the channel beyond the elongated legs, shaping the end portion of the second blank into a hook, forming an operating rod, nesting the body of the second blank in the channel with the two hooks cooperating to provide a receiver support, placing one end of the operating rod within the elongated channel legs, wrapping the elongated portion of the legs around the rod, and securing the second blank and the rod to the first blank.

4. A method of making a telephone receiver hook comprising the steps of punching a metal blank, forming a portion of the blank into a channel, forming the remaining portion of the blank into a hook, punching a second metal blank, shaping a portion of the second blank into a body conforming with the inside contour of the channel, forming a hook at one end of the body, forming a substantially semi-oircular flange at the end of the body opposite the hook, punching an annulus sector from sheet metal, assembling the two blanks with a body of the second blank nested in the channel and the hooks cooperating to provide a receiver support, Welding the blanks together at their nested portions, and securing the sector to the face of the flange and ofiset therefrom to form an annular guard ring and a stop,

5. A method of making a telephone receiver hook, comprising cutting an elongated rod from cylindrical stock, machining two parallel flat surfaces at one end of the rod, punching a blank from sheet metal stock, forming the central portion of the blank to conform with one flat surface on the rod, shaping one end portion of the blank into a hook and the other end portion into an annular flange having an offset leg, punching a second blank from sheet stock, forming a body in the second blank to conform with the other flat surface on the rod, bending one end portion of the second blank into a hook and the other end portion into an annular flange, andwelding the conforming portions of the blanks to the flat surfaces on the rod with the hooks cooperating to support the receiver and the flanges cooperating to form an annular ring.

CHARLES F. BARO'I'HY. 

